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Depression, boredom, loneliness, chronic anger, anxiety, frustration, stress,
problems with interpersonal relationships and poor self-esteem can result in
overeating and unwanted weight gain.
By identifying what triggers our eating, we can substitute more appropriate
techniques to manage our emotional problems and take food and weight gain out
of the equation.
How Can I Identify Eating Triggers?
Situations and emotions that trigger us to eat fall into five main categories.
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Social. Eating when around other people. For
example, excessive eating can result from being encouraged by others to eat;
eating to fit in; arguing; or feelings of inadequacy around other people.
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Emotional. Eating in response to boredom,
stress, fatigue, tension, depression, anger, anxiety or loneliness as a way to
"fill the void."
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Situational. Eating because the opportunity
is there. For example, at a restaurant, seeing an advertisement for a
particular food, passing by a bakery. Eating may also be associated with
certain activities such as watching TV, going to the movies or a sporting
event, etc.
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Thoughts. Eating as a result of negative
self-worth or making excuses for eating. For example, scolding oneself for
looks or a lack of will power.
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Physiological. Eating in response to physical
cues. For example, increased hunger due to skipping meals or eating to cure
headaches or other pain.
To identify what triggers excessive eating in you, keep a food diary that
records what and when you eat as well as what stressors, thoughts, or emotions
you identify as you eat. You should begin to identify patterns to your
excessive eating fairly quickly.
How Do I Break Myself of the Habit?
Identifying eating triggers is the first step; however, this alone is not
sufficient to alter eating behavior. Usually, by the time you have identified a
pattern, eating in response to emotions or certain situations has become a
pattern. Now you have to break the habit.
Developing alternatives to eating is the second step. When you start to reach
for food in response to a trigger, try one of the following activities instead.
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Read a good book or magazine or listen to music
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Go for a walk or jog
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Take a bubble bath
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Do deep breathing exercises
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Play cards or a board game
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Talk to a friend
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Do housework, laundry or yard work
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Wash the car
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Write a letter
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Or do any other pleasurable or necessary activity until the urge to eat passes
What If Distracting Myself Isn't Enough to Keep Me From
Eating?
Sometimes simply distracting yourself from eating and developing alternative
habits is not enough to manage the emotional distress that leads to excessive
eating. To more effectively cope with emotional stress, try
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Relaxation exercises
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Meditation
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Individual or group counseling
These techniques address the underlying emotional problems which are causing you
to binge and teach you to cope in more effective and healthier ways. For more
information on these techniques, contact your doctor.
As you learn to incorporate more appropriate coping strategies and to curb
excessive eating, remember to reward yourself for a job well done. We tend to
repeat behaviors that have been reinforced, so reward yourself when you meet
your nutrition management goals. Buy that blouse, take that vacation, or get
that massage you wanted. By rewarding yourself for a job well done you increase
the likelihood that you will maintain your new healthy habits.
Reviewed by the Department of Nutrition Therapy at The
Cleveland Clinic.
Edited by Charlotte Grayson, MD, WebMD, August 2004.
Reviewed By Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, July 25, 2007.
Medically updated July 25, 2007.
Portions of this page © The Cleveland Clinic
2000-2004.
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